Unitary fire-engine and street-sprinkler.



G. H. CLARKE.

UNITARY FIRE ENGINE AND STREET SPRINKLER.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. I6. I916.

Patented Apr. 2, 191&

IN VEN TOR.

ATTORNEYS.

STES E-EORGE E. CLARKE, 0F NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-THIRD T0 OSWALD 1H,. ROUTE, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, AND ONE-THIRD T0 CARL H. FOWLER, OF NEW scan, it. a.

UNITARY FIRE-ENGINE AND STREET-SPRINKLER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. CLARKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Unltary Flre- Engines and Street-Sprinklers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a combmation fire-engine and s rinkling machine, which, in its preferred form, embodies a self-propelled vehicle carrying a pumping outfit, an engine for operating the pump and also the vehicle, and a tank which may be utilized for sprinkling the streets at tunes and for furnishing water or a chemical fluid for fighting fires, spraying purposes and the like, at other times.

My improved construction is devised articularly for the purpose of economy in the cost of construction and maintenance and an increased utilization of the outfit in com parison with fire-engines and street-sprinklers mounted on separate bodies. The apparatus may be utilized for sprinkling streets of towns, for example, during the times when a fire-engine would be idle, but will be instantly ready for a fire call should one come in. The tank carried by the apparatus serves the double purpose of a supply for street sprinkling and similar purposes and a supply for fire-extinguishing purposes, which may be instantly utilized on arriving at a fire and while connections are being made to a hydrant or other external water supply. The pumping outfit is arranged to draw water from either the tank or an outside supply, at will, and also for filling the tank from an outside supply when the tank requires replenishing. The apparatus is compactly arranged, so that the necessary parts may readily be contained in a single vehicle. To this end, the water tank in my preferred form of invention is located at the rear of the construction and is so arranged as to form seats for the fireman or others riding on the apparatus.

The objects of my invention are to provide improved apparatus of the character and for the purposes referred to, and further consist in the rrangement of parts and combination of elements hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed in the appended claims.

In order that a clearer understanding of Patented A r. a, rare.

Application filed October 16, 1916. Serial No. 126,052.

.apparatus comprises a self-propelled vehicle or automobile 1 driven by a gasolene motor mdlcated diagrammatically at 2. The

pumping apparatus consists preferably of a centrifugal or rotary pump 3 with which may be associated a small vacuum pum 4: for priming the centrifugal pump 3. he pumping outfit may conveniently be mounted under the removable seat 5 for the driver. The water tank 6 is mounted to the rear of the pumping outfit above the rear axle 7.

The engine 2 may be connected to propel the vehicle when the latter is running to a fire or is sprinkling the streets, and disconnected from the running connections and connected to operate .the pumping outfit when the apparatus has been brought to rest and the pumping outfit is to be used. A. shaft 8 is illustrated as runnin "rearwardly from the engine, which may e connected to rotate the rear wheels, or discon nected therefrom, by usual means. Shaft 8 is connected, preferably by a silent chain 9, to a clutch member 10, which may be shifted by a hand lever 11, to clutch in shaft 12 of the pump 3, to operate the same from shaft 8. A parallel shaft 13 is rotated from shaft 12 by a chain or belt 14, and a belt 15 runs loosely over sheaves on shaft 13 and the shaft of vacuum pum 4:. An idler 16 is mounted on a lever 1?, to be pressed into contact with belt 15 when desired, to cause the latter to transmit power to the vacuum pump shaft, to operate the latter.

The pump 3 is provided with an intake connection 18, which may extend to a suitable point or points, such as the coupling 19 shown at the rear of the machine, for connection by hose to a hydrant or other source of water supply. This may be provided with a valve 20. A pipe 21 also connects intake 18 with the tank 6, under control of valve 22, so that water from the tank may be supplied to pump 3 when desired. The intake side of pump 3 is also connected, ad-

j acent to the pump, to the vacuum pump 4, by a pipe 23.

On the delivery side, pump 3 is connected, through a four-way coupling 24, with the delivery pipes 25, 25, having coupllngs 26, 26 on both sides of the machine, to either of which may be connected a hose for conducting water for fire-extinguishing, streetflushing, tree-spraying and other purposes. Pipes 25 are provided with valves 27, 27. Coupling 24 is lso connected, through valve 28, with tank 6, for filling the tank when desired.

The tank 6 is adapted to operate as a street sprinkler when no other calls are made upon the machine, as stated above, and accordingly sprinkler-heads 29, 29 are provided beneath tank 6 and connected by pipes 30, 30 to the opening 31 in the bottom of the tank. Pipes 30, 30 are provided with valves 32, 32, which are connected throu h lever and link mechanisms 33, 33 with t e hand levers 34, 34 located in front of the drivers position. Sprinklerv heads 29, 29 are preferably located at opposite sides of the apparatus so that the supply of water being sprinkled to either the right or left, or both, may be shut off, as desired.

A tank or receptacle 35 is preferably mounted above the forward end of tank 6 to contain suitable chemicals which may be dumped therefrom into tank 6 by mechanism of usual character when it is desired to impregnate the water in tank 6 with chemicals suitable for fire fighting purposes, spraying trees, or the like. Tank 6 suitably forms seats for the firemen and to this end may be provided with raised longitudinally extending portions 36 and 37 at the sides on which the firemen may sit and a central longitudinally extending portion 38 of less height than the portions 36 and 37 to constitute a runway or floor portion between the seats.

The operation of the devices described will now be clear. When the apparatus is being utilized as a street-sprinkler, either or both of the sprinkler-heads 29 may be put in operation by the levers 34, 34. When the apparatus arrives at a fire, water from the tank 6, either plain or impregnated with chemical from container 35, may be thrown on the fire by pump 3, valve 22 being open and valve 20 closed at the intake side, and valve 27 on the side adjacent the fire open and the opposite valve 27, and valve 28, closed at the delivery side. While the supply in tank 6 is being used, the coupling 19 may be connected to an external source of supply, if necessary, and water drawn from the same when the supply in the tank becomes exhausted. This external source of supply may be a hydrant, or fire plug, if the latter be available, or any other source, such as acistern, river or pond. In the latter case, it is advisable to first prime the centrifugal or rotary pump 3 by means of the vacuum pump 4, as the centrifugal pump does not reach its maximum GiIlClGIICy until it and the intake connection leading thereto have become filled with water. When it is necessary to prime the centrifugal pump, the idler 16 is pressed into contact with belt 15 to rotate the vacuum pump shaft, valve 20 being open and valve 22 closed. Pump 4 then creates a vacuum from the source of supply through pump 4:, water from the source rising through connection 18 and being carried by its momentum into pump 3, by which it is pumped onto the fire, idler 16 being raised from belt 15 to disconnect the vacuum pump as soon as the centrifugal pump has been primed. For filling tank 6, valve 28 is opened, valves 27, 27 being closed.

It should be understood that my invention is not limited strictly to the form of construction described above by way of illustration.

What I claim is 1. In a unitary fire-engine and street sprinkler, the combination of a vehicle, a tank thereon, so formed as to provide seats for occupants of the vehicle, sprinkler-heads beneath the same, valved connections for supplying said heads with water from said tank by gravity, when desired, and a pum with suitable connections for filling or rawing from said tank, and also for pumping water from an external source and directing the same at an external object.

2. In a unitary fire-engine and streetsprinkler, the combination of a vehicle, a tank thereon having sprinkler heads beneath the same, valved connections for supplying said heads with water by gravity when desired, a chemical container connected with said tank to dump chemicals therein when desired, pumping means and connections therefrom for filling said tank or drawing liquid therefrom, as desired.

3. In a unitary fire-engine and streetsprinkler, the combination of a vehicle, a longitudinally extendin water tank thereon, at the rear of the vehicle, having raised side portions adapted to form seats for passengers, and a central longitudinal portion of less height, adapted to form a passageway to said seat portions, sprinkler heads and valved connections for said tank, and pumping means and connections for filling said tank or drawing liquid therefrom.

4. In a unitary fire-engine and streetsprinkler, the combination of a vehicle frame, a rotary pump, a vacuum pump, and a tank on said frame, valved intake connections for said rotary pump extending to said tank and adapted to extend to an external source, respectivel a connection between the intake side 0 said rotary pump and said vacuum pump, valved connections extending from the delivery opening of said rotary pump to said tank, and to an external delivery opening, respectively, and means for operating said rotary pump, and, when desired, said vacuum pump.

5. In a unitary fire-engine and streetsprinkler, the combination of a vehicle frame, a rotary pump, a vacuum pump, and a tank on sald frame, a power-shaft, means for operating therefrom said rotary pump,

and, when desired, said vacuum pump, an intake connection for said rotary pump adapted to extend to an external source, a valved passage extending from said connec tion to said tank, a passage extending from said connection to said vacuum pump, a four-way connection connected to the delivery opening of said rotary pump, and valved connections extending from said four-Way connection to said tank, and to a pair of external delivery openings, respectively.

This specification signed and witnessed this 3d day of October, 1916.

GEORGE H. CLARKE. 

